Constant-level hopper for tobacco-feeding machines



Nov. 20, 1928.

C. W. GOOCH, JR

CONSTANT LEVEL HOPPER FOR' TOBACCO FEEDING MACHINES Filed Sept. 9, 1926 vwen'toz Gld/borne Wts 600 yoh, Jr.

35% '41 ttowM/ ill- Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,692,648 PATENT oFFl-CE.

CLAIBORNE WATTS GO'OCH, JR., OF LYNGHBURG, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED vCIZrARETTE MACHINE C0. INC., OF LYNCl-IB'URG, VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

CONSTANT-LEVEL HOPPER FOR TOBAOCOFEEDING MACHINES.

Application filed 'September The object of the present invention is to provide means for maintaining a constantlevel of tobacco relatively to the feedfrolls of a tobacco feeding machine, as well as maintaining the pressure'of the tobacco against the feed rolls. f

The invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-f V Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a detail view of the ypawl mcchanism, and

Figure 3 is a detail view of the pointed rod device which is employed to support the to.- bacco when the movable panel of the hopper returned to initial position prior to relilling the hopper.

In Figure 1 is shown an embodiment of the invention, somewhat diagrammatically. rFhe hopper is indicated at A, into which the to baceo is placed periodically by an attendant,

the hopper being closed at the bottom by a belt, 1, at the rear by a movable panel. 2, at

the front by the upper feed roll 3 and they lower roll 8X, and at the sides by spaced panels.

The feed rolls '3 and 3X are. covered, as customar-ily, with card clothing. They rotate, as indicated by the arrow, and draw tobacco from the supply. Lower roll 3X has coarse teeth which become filled with tobacco, while ugper roll 3 has fine teeth which serve to level the tobacco carried under it by roll 3X. tobacco carried by the latter roll passes under the usual comb 4, having fingers or teeth which hold the tobacco in place. p

A picker roll 5 removes the tobacco from roll 3*, and fan 6 revolves to scatter the tobacco onto belt 7 which carries it to the cigarette making` machine.

In order to keep a uniform height of tobacco and uniform pressure against thefeed rolls, I employ the following instrumentalities:

The rear panel 2 of the hopper is movable in the direction of the feed rolls, and as the tobacco supply diminishes the panel is brought nearer' to the feed rolls, thereby decreasing the capacity of the hopper, keeping the tobacco at a contant level. At the top of the panel and fixed thereto is a rack 8, the

rack projecting toward andabove the feed The 9, 1526. Serial No. 134,352.

rolls, the rack being` slidable relatively to a supporting member held by standard 9 of framework B, as for example the boss 9X,

Driven by sprocket wheel'10 through chain f 11 is a second sprocket wheel. 12 on shaft 13 wardly is a lever 18 to which is pivotally con` nected a pawl 19 having a vstud 19X adapted to engagethe teeth of rack 8. f y

Fixed upon shaft 16 is the rear end of va register lever 2O having a depending end 20X.

In practice shaft 16 may have spaced register levers connectedr thereto land their ends connected by register bar indicated at 21, Figure 1. The register lever will be of sufficient weightto control the position of cam lever 17 relatively to cam 14. If` the tobacco in vhopper A is at a high level, cam lever 17 will be lie'ld at a high point relatively to the cam f 14 so that the cam will have little actionthereon, whereas when4 the level `of tobacco falls y to a predetermined point cam lever 17 will be caused to drop such a vdista-nce relatively to the cam that the latter may impart a substantial movement to the cam lever. As cam lever 17 drops to its ylow point, shaft 16 is rotated and pawl 19 advanced until stud 19".

passes one tooth and falls into position. Thus when the high point of thecam acts upon the cam lever, the direction of rotation of shaft 16 is reversed and therack is advanced a dist-ance equivalent to one tooth. If desired'7 a racky such as 8 and operating means therefor may be placed at each side of the hopper, instead of at a singlel point. As rack 8 is moved rearwardly a latch pawl 22 catches a new tooth and holds the rack inits advanced position.

The operation of the mechanism as a whole is follows: As the feed rolls revolve cam 14, rotated by sprockets 10 and 12 and chain register lever 2O falls, arm 18 is rocked forwardly and carries pawl 19 along rack 8 which is held by latch pawl 22. The register lever` falls until it rests on top of the tobacco supply and if the tobacco level be below a predetermined point pawl 19 will be advanced far enough to catch the next tooth in rack 8. On the upward stroke of cam lever 17 pawl 19 advances rack 8 and with it panel 2 toward the feed rolls 3 and 3", latch pawl 22 passes a new tooth and holds the rack in its advanced position. The advancine of the panel continues until the surface of the tobacco reaches a point where register lever 20 cannot fall a suilicient distance tolpermit pawl 19 to engage the next tooth` on the rack 8. Thus the level of the tobacco is kept approximately at any desired heirht from the time the hopper has been frehly filled with tobacco and panel 2 is in its r rear position, until the greater part of the tobacco is exhausted and panel 2 is in its forward position as indicated by dotted lines a; i i

When it is desired to refill the hop er the pawls 19 and 22 are disengaged from t e rack and the panel returned to its initial position. To prevent the unsupported tobacco from falling away from the feed rolls When the hopper is being charged vpointed rods may be inserted through the side of the hopper, holes 23 being provided for this purpose. The rods 24 may be carried by a hand-frame 25 for convenient manipulation.

A different function of the mechanism may be obtained by different relative. setting of thel awls. It the pawl lever 18 is set so as to giveV the pawl 19 a movement of more than one or nearly two rachet teeth it will pick up the rack on each up stroke and release it at the same point on the drop stroke therebyimparting a slow forward and back movement to the panel 8. This squeezing movement is of value and may be used to help break up pockets or holes that often form in the mass of tobacco and cause irregular feeding.

Having described my invention what I vclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a device of the character described,

a chamber adapted to contain tobacco, a registerin device the position of which is determined y the quantity of the tobacco in said chamber-,and a movable member and actuating means therefor controlled by said regiss tering device for decreasing the effective area of said chamber when the registering device reaches a predetermined position.

Q. In a device of the character described, a chamber adapted to contain tobacco, a registering device the position of which is determined by the level of the tobacco in said chamber, and means controlled by said registering device for periodically compensating for reduced level through tobacco fed out of the chamber, by increasing the level.

3. In a device of the character described, a chamber adapted to contain tobacco, means for feeding tobacco out of said chamber, and means for automatically reducing the area of the chamber during said feedin action, including a movable wall, power riven meub bers for actuating said wall, and means regulated by the level of the tobacco in the chamber for controlling the action of said power driven members on the wall.

4l. In Va device ot' the character described, a chamber adapted to contain tobacco, feeding' rolls, a movable wall in said chamber, a rack connected to saidfwall, a pawl adapted to engage said rack, a cam device for actuatingsaid pawl, and a registeringdevice adapted to control the pawl in such manner that it becomes effective to move the rack when the level of tobacco in said chamber reaches a predetermined position.

5. In a device of the character described, a chamber adapted to contain tobacco, feeding rolls, a cam device, an oscillatory shaft. a lever on the shaft and engaged by the cam device, a pawl on the shaft, a rack engaged by the pawl, a wall connected to the rack, and a registering device on the shaft and the position of which is controlled by the tobacco level, said registering device adapted to hold the pawl lever in idle position until the tobacco level reaches a predetermined position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to` this specification.

CLAIBORNE WATTS GOOCH, JR. 

